Remote control for accounting machines



June 21, 1960 A. R. ZIPF REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ALFRED R. ZIPF W HlS ATTORNEYS BYgUL June 21, 1960 A. R. ZIPF 2,941,713

REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

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REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l6 f 6 Q ms ATTORNEYS June 21, 1960 A. R. ZlPF 2,941,713

REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 LOCK RELEASE mmhwlownu- INVENTOR ALFRED R Zl PF m a; no Q n 01 0 S ATTORNEYS FIG. 7

- 2,941,713 Patented June2 1960 REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Alfred R. Zipf, Van Nuys, Calif., assignor to The Nafional Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of -Maryland Filed Nov. 9, 1954, Ser. No. 467,787

Claims. (Cl. 235-6) This invention relates to improvements for depressing control keys of accounting machines by electrical controls rendered active by a switch in a record-receiving compartment.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for automatically depressing control keys of an accounting machine when record material is inserted into a record-receiving compartment. Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of sorting compartments with switches which may be closed as an incident to inserting record material into a selected compartment, whereby a control key associated with the selected compartment is depressed.

A specific object of the invention is to provide solenoids to depress control keys, and switches in related sorting compartments, to selectively close circuits through the solenoids by the operation of a switch in a selected sorting compartment.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a means in a sorting rack whereby the machine, for making entries set up thereon, is released for operation and control of the entries by a manually-operated switch i the selected sorting compartment.

With these and incidental objects .in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of 2 in the Spurlino Patent No. 2,416,598, which indicators are operated upon depression of a control key, and the operator deposits the check into the indicated compartment while the machine is going through its cycle of operation. An experienced operator can deposit the check in the indicated compartment within the allotted Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the coupling connection for supporting the switch shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the solenoids for operating the control keys of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the connection for operating keys of one row of keys by solenoids located in an adjacent key bank.

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the wiring connections between the sorting compartment'switches and the solenoids for operating the control keys of the machine.

General description In machines of the type shown in United States Patent No; 2,361,662, issued to P ascal Spurlino et al., three banks of control keys are provided for controlling the various functions and operations of the machine. The machines of said class are provided with sorting compartments into which checks are placed as the data taken therefrom are entered into the machine. To aid the operator in selecting the proper compartments of the machines illustrated in the Spurlino et al. patent, indicators are provided in the various compartments, as illustrated depressed.

time. New operators sometimes find the allotted time too short, and the indicator returns home before they can deposit the check, causing confusion and errors in depositing the checks into the compartments.

In the present disclosure, the data are set up on the amount keyboard, then the check is deposited in the selected compartment, and, by the same movement of the operators hand, a switch in the mouth of the compartment is closed to energize a solenoid located above the associated control key, whereupon the control key is depressed by the solenoid to initiate an operation of the machine to enter data according to the compartment into which the check is deposited.

The switch in each compartment is so constructed and located that it can be operated with a slight pressure, which is exerted while the operator is depositing the check. I

Detailed description As disclosed in the above-mentioned patents, machines of the type to which the invention is shown applied are provided with four banks of control keys 10 (Figs. 2 and 5), which keys are slidably mounted in key frames 11, carried by rods 12 and 13, supported by the framework of the machine. The usual cabinet 14 encloses the mechanism of the machine.

A frame 15 is mounted on the cabinet 14, to which the frame 15 is secured by brackets 16. The frame 15 is built in arcuate conformation parallel to the curvature of the frame 11, and is provided with a dividing curved shelf 17,- having openings through which the armatures 18 project and extend to the tops of the control keys 10. The armatures 18 are operated by solenoids (see also Fig. 7) supported on the shelf 17. A finish plate 20, secured to the frame 11, maintains the solenoids in proper alinement with the control keys 10.

The two armatures 18, in the two lowermost positions of the right-hand bank of solenoids, are provided with fingers extending over keys 21 in the row of keys of the right-hand bank of keys, so that, upon the closing of a circuit through these solenoids, the special key21 will be The five armatures of the right-hand bank of solenoids are energized by the depression of keys in a horizontal row of keys 2 (Fig. 1). Depression of a key 22 closes a switch 23 (Fig. 7) to energize a solenoid 24 to depress an associated key 10, indicated by the legends 19, 20, or Block No., or a key 21, carrying the legend Clear Proof or Error, to control the operation of the machine.

The solenoids 19 are energized for selectively depressing the keys of the two left-hand banks of keys (Fig. 2) by manually-operated switches located in the mouths of the sorting compartments, where they can be operated while the operator is inserting a check therein.

and a control key in the machine selects a totalizer into which all entries for the selected bank are received.

The present invention comprises a novel control for a check into the selected compartment, thus minimizing errors due to depositing checks in one compartment and entering data in a totalizer not associated with the compantment.

' The compartments are formed by side walls 31 and 32 and partitions 33. Each cempartment is provided with a back Wall 34-. Slots 35 provide finger openings to permit easy removal of the checks from the compartments.

A switch, illustrated in Fig. 3, is provided at the front and top of each compartment. The switches are secured to the partitions 33 and to the side walls 32 by clips 40 (*Figs. 1 and 4). The clip 48 is secured to a connector 41, having a spring-pressed contact 42, properly insulated from the connector 41. The connector 41 is threaded to receive a collar 143 of the switch, which collar is screwed to the connector, and, when firmly screwed into position, the contact 42 is in electrical contact with one side 43 of the switch. The side 43 of the switch is constructed in. the form of a threaded screw which projects into a long coil spring 44 forming the other side of the switch. The lent-hand end (Fig. 3) of the. coil spring 44 is supported by a sleeve 45, to which it is secured by a set screw 46. The screw collar 143 is insulated from the spring 44 by insulating collars 47 and 48. The right-hand end (Fig. 3) of the spring 44 has frictionally attached thereto a shouldered rod 49, and an insulating, flexible, sleeve 50 covers the spring 44-.

When the rod 49 is moved and the spring 44 is flexed, the inner diameter of the spring 44 is brought into contact with the screw 43 to close a circuit, described later. Inasmuch as the spring 44 is of considerable length, flexing the spring 44 requires a slight pressure, and, since the rod 49 is located at the entrance to a compartment, the operator can flex the spring to close the circuit in a single continuous movement.

This causes the control key associated with the compartment to be depressed and data to be entered into the r totalizer associated with the compartment into which the check or other record material is deposited, thus reducing entry errors to a minimum.

The screw 43 and the spring 44 are indicated in the circuit diagram (Fig. 7) as conventional switch members.

All of the springs 44 are connected to a common line 60, being one side of the source of power. Each screw 43 is connected to an associated solenoid 19 by a line 61. Thus the screw 43 for key 18 is connected to the solenoid 19 located above key 18. Each solenoid is connected to the common line 62, forming a second side of the power line. Thus, when an operator flexes the spring 44 and makes contact with the screw 43, the associated solenoid is energized to cause its armature to depress the associated key 10.

The five special solenoids 24 are similarly selectively energized when an associated switch 23 is closed upon depression of an associated one of the special keys 22.

1. In a machine of the class described having a plurality of filing compartments and a corresponding plurality of control keys for controlling the release of the machine and entry of data into an accounting machine, the combination of a normally open electric switch in 2,941,713 a, r r

. 4 each compartment, a solenoid adjacent each control key and operatively related thereto, and circuits connecting the switches to the solenoids tooperate the associated solenoid when record material is filed in a compartment and the switch is simultaneously manually closed, whereby the associated solenoid is energized to operate the related control key.

2. In a machine of the class described having a plurality of filing compartments and a corresponding plurality of manipulative control devices for controlling the entry of data into an accounting machine, the combination of a normally open switch mounted adjacent the entrance of each compartment, an electrically-controlled means associated with each compartment, said electricallycontrolled means connected, to the respective manipulative control devices whereby the manipulative control devices are actuated upon operation of the electrically-controlled means, and electrical circuits connecting the switches to the electrically-controlled means, said switches selective- 1y operated by the operator simultaneously with the insertion of record material into a selected compartment to activate the electrically-controlled means, to thereby operate a manipulative device associated with the selected compartment.

3 In a machine of the class described having a plurality of, vfiling compartments and manipulative devices for controlling the operation of the machine, the combination of means for actuating the manipulative devices, a switch in each compartment, and connections between the switches and said means, said switches manually operable to activate the first-named means through said connections.

4. In a machine of the class described having a plurality of compartments for receiving record material and an equal number of manipulative devices, one manipulaitive device associated with each compartment for controlling the operation of the machine, the combination of electrically-operated means for actuating the manipulative devices, a switch comprising a member extending across the entrance of each compartment, capable of being manually operated when record material is inserted into a compartment, and circuits between the switches. and the electrically-operated means, said circuits selectively energized by the switch in said compartment to activate the electrically-operated means, to select and operate a manipulative device.

5. In a machine of the class described having a plurality of compartments for receiving record material and manipulative devices for controlling the operation of the machine, the combination of electrically-operated means for actuating the manipulative devices, a switch comprising a flexible spring extending across the entrance of each compartment, so as to be manually operable when inserting record material into a compartment, and circuits between the switches and the electrically-operated means, said circuits selectively energized by manually flexing the spring to close the switch when inserting record material into a compartment and simultaneously closing the switch manually to activate the electrically-operated means to select and operate a manipulative device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,968 Storer Apr. 9, 1918 2,639,857 Spurlino et a1 May 26, 1953 2,724,550 Drake et a1 Nov. 22, 1955 2,801,748 Oelkers Aug. 6, 1957 

